Pike Place Market
With a bevy of noises, smells, personalities, jokes and urban theater scattered freely around a spatially challenging waterfront, Pike Place Market is Seattle in a bottle. Operating since 1907 and still as vibrant today as it was on the first day, this great local experience showcases the true face of the city.All-inclusive, versatile, and proudly unique. Expanding market infrastructure in 2017 added retail space, weather-protected common areas, additional parking, and low-income senior housing. If you’re coming from downtown, walk down Pike Street toward the waterfront. You can’t miss the huge Public Market sign on the horizon. By the way, the sign and clock, installed in 1927, was one of the first outdoor neon installations on the West Coast. Stop at the top of Pike Street and First Avenue to witness the hustle and bustle. Walk the cobbled streets, past the perpetually stranded cars (don’t even think about getting off at Pike Place), stop before entering the market and shake the bronze nose of the market pig Rachel. market. Sculpted by Whidbey Island artist Georgia Gerber and named after a real pig, this life-size piggy bank brings in about $10,000 each year. Funds are sent back to market social services. There is an information booth nearby that sells market maps and information about Seattle. It also doubles as a ticket office, selling discounted tickets for various shows around the city. History of Pike Place Market Pike Place Market is the oldest continuously operating market in the country. It was founded in 1907 to provide local farmers with a place to sell their fruits and vegetables, eliminating middlemen. Greengrocers were soon replaced by fishmongers, bakers, butchers, cheese vendors, grocers selling imported goods, and other Northwest agricultural purveyors. Architecturally, this market has not always been robust. There was always a jumble of sheds and stalls haphazardly designed for convenience and never intended as a tourist attraction. It came later. An enthusiastic farming community created a market heyday in the 1930s. Many of the first farmers were immigrants. In fact, the market celebrates with an annual theme that recognizes the contributions of various ethnic groups. Over the past few years, it has been represented by Japanese Americans, Italian Americans, and Sephardic Jewish Americans. In the 1960s, market sales were plagued by suburbanization, supermarket growth, and displacement from small local nurseries. Vast tracts of farmland have disappeared, replaced by ventures like Northgate Mall and Sea-Tac Airport. The internment of Japanese American farmers during World War II also took its toll. The entire area became a haven for the poor and was known as a center of disrepute. After the 1962 World’s Fair, plans were made to build high-rise office and apartment buildings in this prime downtown location, surrounding the market. Fortunately, public outcry sparked voter initiatives to save the market. The space has since been wiped down, rebuilt, and once again the unmistakable heartbeat of downtown. Around 10 million people stroll through the market each year. Thanks to the market’s own management, social services programs and low-income housing, commerce is mixed with the market and the market remains doomed. These initiatives prevent the area from becoming too upscale. The Market Law prohibits chain stores and franchises from setting up shop and ensures that all businesses are locally owned. One exception, of course, is Starbucks. Starbucks avoids the market location as it is the coffee giant’s oldest location, having moved here from its original location in 1976. 2015 saw the groundbreaking ceremony for the Pike Up Project, a 30,000-square-foot extension of Pike Place. Enabled by the demolition of the Alaskan Way viaduct, the MarketFront complex opened in 2017 with new shops, restaurants and stalls, connecting the market to the waterfront via terraces, stairs and green space. Main and North Arcades Rachel the Market Pig marks the main entrance to the main and north arcades, thin scaly structures that run along the edge of the hill. These are the busiest market buildings. With fresh produce artfully displayed and fresh fish, crab and other shellfish piled on ice, this is the true heart of the market. Here you can see fishmongers tossing salmon like basketball (many of these vendors package their fish for next-day delivery). You’ll also find cheese shops, butcher shops, stalls selling magazines and sweets from around the world, small stalls and everything you need to prepare your meals. The end of the North Arcade is dedicated to local artisans and artisans. Products sold here must be handmade. It is also blooming in flower shops. The Main Arcade was Frank Goodwin’s first market building built in 1907. Down Under As if the market’s ground level alone wasn’t enough of a labyrinth of labyrinths, below the main arcade are his three lower levels, called Down Under. There’s an amazing mix of pocket-sized stores here, from Indian spice stalls to magic supply stores to vintage magazine and map dealers. Economy market building South of the market entrance, the Economy Market Building was once a merchant’s stable and now houses the excellent Italian grocer DeLaurenti. It’s also home to one of the West Coast’s oldest pharmacies, Tenzing Momo, where you can buy herbal remedies, incense, oils and books. Tarot readings are available here at any time. Economy A look at his market floor shows that in the 1980s he had 46,000 tiles sold to the public for $35 each. Once you buy a tile, put your name on it and be proud that you saved the market. Notable tile owners include Seuss, inventor of Dr. Cat in the Hut and former US President Ronald Reagan. South arcade Pass DeLaurenti and you’ll come to the market’s newest wing, the South Arcade. Here you’ll find upmarket shops and the lively Pike Pub & Brewery. It’s not technically part of the historic market, but it has a spirit and a raucous energy. Corner and sanitary market building Across from Pike Place from the main arcade is the 1912 Corner & Sanitary Market Building. The building got its name because it was